• the post of tom joad@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    81
    ·
    4 months ago

    I suspect wolfire is a useful idiot with a larger company funding this lawsuit. Whether or not the antitrust case has legs, this will cost valve money which is a win for whoever they may be.

    Just conjectue o course. I know though that if steam were destroyed tomorrow only terrible more expensive garbage would come in its place.

    So go go gaben

    • ozymandias117@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      4 months ago

      If Wolfire kept up Humble Indie Bundle instead of it being sold to IGN and losing any semblance of “indie” I’d take the complaint more seriously

      I do really like Lugaru, but still

      • Spedwell@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        4 months ago

        I like Wolfire. Their head (David Rosen) had a really good procedural animation talk at GDC about a decade ago, their games are pretty good, and they started up Humble before it spun off on its own.

        Before tarnishing their reputation, I’d suggest reading up on the actual complaints put forth in the lawsuit. I’ve done so extensively, I think they have very solid grounds to go after Valve (Valve’s behaviour is comparable to Amazon’s in terms of anticompetitive practices).

        • quarterlife@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          16
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          I read the complaints and I lost all respect. I will not be spending another cent with that company, nor will I attend any of his future talks.

        • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          4 months ago

          The entire complaint seems to be centered around the idea that you can’t sell the game for different price off platform. That’s demonstrably untrue. You can sell the game for a different price of platform as long as they’re not using steam keys. Which is hardly an unreasonable onus, It’s not hard to generate your own keys.

          The other complaint seems to be about the 30% but again you can just distribute yourself. Of course then you have to fund all your own server architecture, that’s what the 30% pays for.

            • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              This has already been raised in the European courts and has basically been beaten down that that there is no basis. Feel free to link to an actual court decision that proves otherwise.

              • Spedwell@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                It’s an ongoing case, so I don’t know what you expect of me here. My reply was to correct your misunderstanding about the focus of the case, which is not limited to the use of steam keys as you originally claimed.

                I am not aware of the european case you reference, would you mind pointing me to where I can learn more?

                • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  Why are you getting the idea that it extends to non-steam keys as well? That’s never been the case because that’s not actually true. They have no control over what price you sell a product at off the platform as long as it’s not using steam keys. So if they’re claiming that it also includes steam keys then that’s not true.

                  • Spedwell@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    4 months ago

                    The points linked above allege Valve will delist a game from their platform if the price is lower off-platform (even for non-key sales), correct?

                    This is called a “Platform Most Favored Nation” clause, and it has anti-competitive effects. It is controlling the price off-platform using the leverage of market share to coerce behaviors out of publishers.

                    Please also link me this European court case, I have been unable to locate it myself.

                  • Spedwell@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    Again, I am really wanting to see this EU case you reference, because this is an issue I have been reading up on. Do you have a reference for me?